A Healthy Payout: Is Weight Loss Covered by Insurance?

weight loss covered by insurance

Let’s quickly answer this question of whether or not weight loss is covered by insurance: maybe.

Ok, ok. That wasn’t a real answer. But, since every insurance company and weight loss program is different, it’s impossible to answer this question definitively.

There are many insurance companies that will help you lose weight, but you’ll need to do so with a program approved by them.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about insurance and weight loss coverage.

Why is Weight Loss Covered by Insurance?

Before I get into the program list or help you find an insurance company that will help you with weight loss, I want to take a moment and talk about the why.

Here’s the thing. Your insurance company wants you to be healthy. From a business perspective, they spend less money on healthy people. That means losing weight.

Although it may be hard to convince your insurance company to help you if you’re skinny fat, you may be able to get help if you enroll in one of the listed programs.

Weight Loss Programs Covered by Insurance

Here are a few of the programs that I know of that are at least partly covered by insurance plans. One of the ways you can find out if your insurance company covers these is by looking at Esurance reviews.

Weight Watchers

This program focuses on using a community of like-minded people to encourage you to create goals and stick to your weight loss progam to get to your ideal weight.

Some insurance companies cover half of the fees.

NutriSystem

If you don’t want to worry about planning healthy meals, then NutriSystem is the way to go. They deliver customized meals right to your door to take all the guesswork out of weight loss.

Your insurance company might offer some discounts for you.

Jenny Craig

This weight loss program uses individualized programs and one-on-one consultations to help you lose weight. They combine diet and exercise to help you create new healthy habits.

Many insurance companies will help you pay for this program.

Weight Loss Services Covered by Insurance

In addition to these weight loss programs, there are also medical services that may be covered by your insurance that can help you lose weight. Here are just a few of them.

Screenings and Counsel

All insurance plans will cover weight loss screenings as part of your yearly physical. If your BMI index shows that you’re obese, this may qualify you for weight loss counseling.

Medication

Not all weight loss medications are covered by insurance companies, so you’ll have to ask your company. However, there are more and more companies that are covering weight loss medications. This is particularly true when your health is compromised because of your weight.

Bariatric Surgery

Once again, this is a procedure that is only covered when your health is at risk because of your weight. This is also something you should only consider as an absolute last resort since there’s no going back after this procedure.

Where to Find Insurance that Covers Weight Loss

Now you know that there are programs and services for weight loss covered by insurance. Your first step should be to call your current health insurance company to find out what they offer.

If they don’t have any weight loss coverage for you, then you can read this post to find out how to find an insurance company that will help you lose weight.